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Living in : Portugal

Once in Portugal, there are more things you need to do. These include:

• Registering your arrival 
• Tax registration with the authorities 
• Registering children with daycare/school/universities 
• Signing up with a Dr or Dentist etc 
• Set up a bank account 
• Convert your driving license? 
• Registering or buying a car 
• Search for a job 
• Register for language courses 
• Recycling 
• If a student, check out the local student life 
• Marrying in Portugal 
• British Nationals dying in Portugal 
• Protect your pension 
• Keep an eye out for your work / residence permit / insurances / passport lapsing... 
• Emergencies 

As an EU national you do not need a work permit to work in Portugal.  However it is always best to be prepared, and have employment set up before you go. You are able to enter the country as a tourist and to look for a job once you arrive.

As an EU Citizen, you are entitled to stay freely in Portugal for up to 3 months.  If you plan to stay in Portugal for a period longer than three months, or you plan on working, you must apply to the Portuguese immigration Service - Serviço de Estrangeiros e Fronteiras (SEF) - for a Registration Certificate sometime during the 30 days following the three-month period.  You must register for this with the Aliens Authorities. 

Gekko Portugal - Residency
Homes World - Portugal
World of Property - Portugal

Be aware that if you have work set up prior to arrival, you must apply for residency within 30 days of arrival in the Country.  You are not permitted to work without one.  Registration for residency can take some months, so you will be issued with a "Protocolo" card which is a provisional residence card which will allow you to start work.  Your residence permit will follow later.  This Protocolo is sufficient for your immediate needs.

In addition, ID (either a passport or a Portuguese identity card (bilhete de identidade) must be carried at all times. Application forms for this ID are available from the Portuguese Consulate General.

If planning on staying/working/buying a house or car/opening a bank account etc, you must obtain both a Social Security Number and a número fiscal de contribuinte (Tax Number).  This number identifies you to the Portuguese taxman and is required when dealing with the tax office. To register for the Social Security Number, you must register with the local National Insurance Office and for the Tax Number, with the local Repartição das Finanças (Tax Office).  If employed, your employer is likely to arrange this for you, however if you are self employed or have your own business, you must speak with your accountant to arrange this.

All of this MUST be done within the first 30 days of arrival if you have employment.  Failure to do this could result in your being asked to leave the country.

Daycare spaces are very limited and heavily faught for, so if you find one apply in plenty of time. Speak to your local town hall for information on daycare facilities in your local area.  Finding a Portuguese/English one outside of Lisbon is also very difficult, however other expats in the local area may be able to help.

The rules for compulsory schooling are simple. Children are expected to start school at the age of 5 or 6 depending on their date of birth. One of the biggest decisions you need to make will be "Do I want my children educated in English, at an International school, or in a Portuguese school?" These sites may help you with this decision.

Country Studies - Portuguese
British Council - Portugal/UK Equivalencies
Shelter off shore - Portugal
Anglo Info - Portugal Schooling 
Foreign Office  - International Schools 

Many Doctors and Dentists are English speaking, especially in the more commercial areas of Portugal. You have a free choice of general practitioner, paediatrician and several specialists within your area, providing your choice does not bring the doctor's/dentist's list above the maximum patients permitted. For an English speaking Doctor, ask around - other Brits in the neighbourhood can help as well as many of the locals.  If you are living near a resort town, finding and English speaking Doctor/Dentist should not be an issue at all.  In addition, many health care professionals advertise in the expat press. If based in or around Lisbon, this site may help:

Anglo Info - Lisbon English Speaking Doctors & Dentists

Opening a bank account is pretty simple. Hopefully, this site should give you the information you need.

Gekko Portugal - Banking in Portugal
Gekko Portugal - Opening a bank account
How to - Banks in Portugal

The first thing you need to be aware of is if you move abroad, you cannot have your new international address added to your British driving licence.

Directgov - Driving Abroad on a GB Licence

You can apply for an International Driving Permit as a temporary solution although the Portuguese authorities will accept your UK licence so this is not necessary. Information about this can be found here:

Driving Permit - International Driving Permit

Alternatively, you have two other choices. Either leave it with your last address in the UK, or submit it to the Portuguese authorities and have it replaced with a Portuguese Licence. 

The British Embassy website does make reference to switching your licence. This is what they say:

• As in Britain, it is a legal requirement in Portugal for the address on the licence to reflect the correct address of its holder.
• 
  
• If lost, stolen or damaged, the licence can only be renewed or replaced by the original issuing authority.  Some licensing authorities, such as the DVLA, will not renew or replace a licence to an overseas address.
• 
  
• When the licence eventually expires, the Portuguese authority will not renew it unless the holder takes (and passes) a driving test in Portugal.

Regardless of your decision regarding your licence, you should familiarise yourself with the rules of the Portuguese roads! This website should help you. The traffic laws are outlined here:

Europe Accident - Driving in Portugal
Driving Abroad - Portugal
Europa - Getting there

Breaking the law will result in on the spot fines.

And finally, please remember that although in the UK you can take and pass your driving test at the age of 17, in Portugal, your licence is not valid until your 18th birthday! In addition, if you have held your full UK licence for less than 12 months, other restrictions apply.  You will be expected to apply to the ACP (Automovel Club de Portugal), the Portuguese motor club, for a yellow disc that tells other drivers this.  It must be displayed at all times in your vehicle whenever you are driving.  The disc has the number 90 on it, which refers to the speed restriction of 90 kph (56mph) - the speed you must never exceed during this period of time.  Other general driving differences can be found here:

ViaMichelin - Driving in Europe - Similarities and Differences

Deciding whether to take your car or not is something you will need to think about. What is "right" varies from person to person. For example, for my first move, I took my UK car with me for the first 6 months only. This gave me the security blanket when I wasn't sure if I would stay. Had I returned to the UK, I wouldn't have then had to look for a new car. Having decided to stay, I returned my UK car to the UK, and bought a local one. Just make sure that if you decide to take your own car, your insurance covers you properly with a "permanent green card"!

Don't forget you must also notify the DVLA if you plan to take your car out of the UK either temporarily or permanently. 

Direct Gov - Taking your car abroad

If you decide to import your vehicle permanently, contact your local customs office (Alfândega) who can point you in the direction of the Vehicle Licensing Authority.  Alternatively, if you can find your local Direcção-Geral de Viação (Portuguese Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority) they will be able to give you information regarding all the proceedures which will need to be followed to ensure your car is legally registered in Portugal.

New and second hand cards are very easy to come by in Portugal, however when looking to buy, always go with someone who knows about cars so they can look at it and help you decide if it is worth the money the person is asking. If you are unsure, buy from a reputable dealer and one that offers warranties in case something goes wrong. You can find good deals in local papers and on the internet, but make sure you check it out properly.

There are a number of websites which focus on job searches in Portugal.  The following are a few, however we can not take liability for any of their content or claims.  It is also worth actually going into agencies on the street with your up to date CV.

Jobs Abroad
Job Centre Plus
Executives on the Web
Tip Top Jobs

We Brits are terrible when it comes to learning languages! It's awful to walk around the shops and feel illiterate. Seeing the letters but not understanding the words. It can leave you feeling very isolated. Learning the language has many benefits. Firstly, it teaches you the essentials you will need to get by. Secondly, it helps you meet people - often people in a similar situation to yourself. And thirdly, it makes people take you more seriously on a daily basis.

Please check our Resources section to see if there is any further information on language courses.

Each area has its own recycling rules. Make sure you speak with neighbours or the local council to find out the rules for your area.

Once you know where you will be studying, contact your campus to find out about the local social life. Find out the "in" places to go and the local club scene. Most students work hard, but play harder!

When living in a foreign country, it is not unthinkable that you might meet and later want to marry someone in Portugal.

More information can be found here:

Foreign Office - Marriage Formalities in Portugal
Foreign Office - Registering Civil Partnerships

While in Portugal, although none of us wants to think about it, it is possible that you could be left to deal with the death of a loved one. There are many decisions to be made and the following website by the British Embassy in Lisbon will be of help.

Foreign Office - Registering a Death
Foreign Office - Help if someone dies

The British Foreign Office have put together a booklet (PDF) which you can download.

Foreign Office - Death Overseas

Please also visit our Repatriation page where we go into this in more detail.

As a UK citizen you are entitled to a UK pension when you retire. This can and will be paid into your bank account anywhere in the world. However, whether you get a full or part pension at retirement age depends on your contributions.

Be aware that you are able to pay into a private pension for 5 years after you leave the UK, however advisers also suggest that you consider paying voluntary NI contributions to preserve your state pension entitlements.

You can find out how much to pay by calling the HMRC International Services Helpline on +44 (0) 845 9154811 giving them your UK NI Number. There are many ways to pay, the link below will be of use.

HM Revenue & Customs - Paying NI from abroad

This may seem obvious but make sure you know exactly when each of your documents are due to expire! To begin with you may not be able to read the correspondence these companies are sending you. This makes renewal notices very difficult to understand. The last thing you want is to find out that part of your life is no longer legal... Whether it's your right to live in the country or your car insurance have those dates marked clearly somewhere that you check regularly and if it spans more than one year... make sure you copy it over to the following year!

If your passport is due to expire you will need this website:

Foreign Office - Passports

Emergency Services can be reached by dialing 112, however if you want to get hold of a specific service you can call the following numbers.

Police - 112
Ambulance - 112 
Fire Bregade - 112

If anything else goes seriously wrong, the Foreign & Commonwealth Office offers the following help:

Foreign Office - When things go wrong